Akira is soaking herself in the hot bath at his house to melt the exhaustion that has accumulated that day.

I'm so tired today, a lot has happened. I hope we still manage to get some money out of it, it would be nice, right?

Akira glanced at Alpha, who was bathing with him, and asked for her permission. But Alpha said with a mocking smile instead.

I want to know this.

Just say yes, okay?

I can't guarantee what Rina and Togami will do. First of all, it was you who left the relics and the broken automaton for Rina and Togami to sell. It's really a troublesome topic, so there's no way around it.

It's not like I'm reproaching you. It's just that I can't guarantee that it's going to be okay.

I know, but still

Akira sighed softly, then relaxed as if she had given up on the matter, and muttered to herself.

It's okay, it's going to be fine. Shio

I also stated that if it didn't work out, the shell would be held responsible. So I believe that she also believes that today's loot can be sold for a lot of money. It should be fine.

That's a good idea for equipment, hehe.

While Akira seemed to have moved away from that topic once before, he made a difficult face again.

What's wrong?

No, nothing.

Akira decides to be honest and tells Shizuka everything in case she asks, but she accepts his orders without saying anything. But instead, Shizuka looked a little surprised and angry. Immediately, she smiled as if she had given up, but her smile was mixed with pity.

Thinking that Shizuka would at least say that he had broken the rifle in such a short period of time, she continued to talk about it without even touching on the topic. He felt that something was wrong.

Shizuka-san, she didn't say anything, so it should be fine.

Let's just hope it's not an exasperated smile because she worked hard to get equipment that would have been out of the store's offerings, but you quickly broke them and you didn't show any remorse at all when you placed the replacement order. But as a weapons merchant, she doesn't have a good reason to stop you, as it contributes a lot to the store's revenue.

I'm only saying this because you seem to be too obsessed with it. You should move on, if you keep getting stuck with it and end up making you use your device too carefully, you could end up hurting yourself and that will beat the reason you got them in the first place, you know?

I know, but still

It doesn't matter if the device is broken, as long as you are safe. It does contribute to her store revenue, and you wouldn't deliberately sabotage them anyway. That's why it doesn't matter. If Shizuka is worried, it's either because you've accidentally used your device, or because you've been putting yourself in a situation where you have no choice but to do something that destroys your device. It's not something you have to worry about, or rather, it's too late for you to start worrying about this, right?

By the way, about that white card, what exactly is it?

That's a business card. You can use that card to contact that Olivia bot. If you are someone who can connect to the Old World realm, you can use it to contact Olivia directly, and if you can't do so, you can use an Old World communication device instead. I bet it's left to you in the hope you'll hire it.

Akira immediately turned to Alpha.

Alpha, do you know all this?

Cloud.

Why didn't you tell me then?

Can you keep it a secret?

Alpha smiled as usual. While he knew that her point was good and agreed with her, he was not entirely happy to admit it.

Is that really something very expensive?

It depends on the price of your method of connecting with the Old World in a friendly way.

In that case, it was supposed to be quite an expensive thing to do, and I ended up giving it up, thinking it wasn't worth that much. I guess that's a big mistake, right?

Its opposite. You're doing a great job of getting that object away from you as quickly as possible. To be able to use the card, you need to know at least how to connect to the old world domain. If you try to keep it for yourself, in the worst-case scenario, others may suspect that you probably know. That's why I didn't tell you about it later. Like I said before, I don't think you can keep a secret, right?

Yes, I don't think I could.

The moment Shiori mentioned the name Lion Steel, his little reaction was obviously noticed. If he knew how valuable that card was, Ming didn't think he would let it go.

Think so. Let me at least tell you that, but make sure you don't hang up on it too much. Instead, think of it as pushing the problem onto them. If you insist on keeping it, people may become suspicious.

By the way, about that white card, what exactly is it?

That's a business card. You can use that card to contact that Olivia bot. If you are someone who can connect to the Old World realm, you can use it to contact Olivia directly, and if you can't do so, you can use an Old World communication device instead. I bet it's left to you in the hope you'll hire it.

Akira immediately turned to Alpha.

Alpha, do you know all this?

Cloud.

Why didn't you tell me then?

Can you keep it a secret?

Alpha smiled as usual. While he knew that her point was good and agreed with her, he was not entirely happy to admit it.

Is that really something very expensive?

It depends on the price of your method of connecting with the Old World in a friendly way.

In that case, it was supposed to be quite an expensive thing to do, and I ended up giving it up, thinking it wasn't worth that much. I guess that's a big mistake, right?

Its opposite. You're doing a great job of getting that object away from you as quickly as possible. To be able to use the card, you need to know at least how to connect to the old world domain. If you try to keep it for yourself, in the worst-case scenario, others may suspect that you probably know. That's why I didn't tell you about it later. Like I said before, I don't think you can keep a secret, right?

Yes, I don't think I could.

The moment Shiori mentioned the name Lion Steel, his little reaction was obviously noticed. If he knew how valuable that card was, Ming didn't think he would let it go.

Think so. Let me at least tell you that, but make sure you don't hang up on it too much. Instead, think of it as pushing the problem onto them. If you insist on keeping it, people may become suspicious.

You have a point, after all, I have no plans to be arrested.

Suspecting someone who can connect to the realm of the Old World is enough for the Hunter's Office to issue an arrest warrant. Since Akira is really the one who can connect to the realm of the Old World, even if the suspicion is completely irrelevant, he can't be caught by them anyway. At this point, all his regrets about that card were gone.

First of all, you don't have any chin anyway

ome, so you can't hire Olivia. The only person who can do this is to have ch

The super-rich or big corporations of the ome.

Exactly. That's just beyond my reach. I guess that means I didn't have anything to do with them in the first place, hehe, wait, that's just my guess, but it feels like Shiori knows the card. I wonder if she has any connection to that world.

Well, she explores the ruins in a maid's outfit called Rena, Miss, and it wouldn't be surprising if she had some connection to that world. She may know the value of that card and may even be actively involved in that world.

Since you mentioned it, it does make sense. I wonder who they really are. Honestly, it seems to me that they are nothing more than a bunch of rich people from the inner walls who take hunters as a hobby.

Akira enjoyed a warm bath while thinking about Renus's team and its background. But since he couldn't think of a good answer, the question ended up melting in the warm water as well.

The next day. In a high-class inn in Shimojo City, Kumayama City, Togami, Shirabe, Reina, and Shiori are all gathered in one of the rooms.

Togami put 1,000,000 gold coins in front of Hakube. Shika

Abe took it and put it in his HST pocket. Seeing this, Togami smiled triumphantly.

There, I finally let you take all the thirty million gold coins.

Truly.

Seeing Shirabe smiling happily, Togami had a strong sense of accomplishment. Seeing this, Rena couldn't help but tilt her head.

Eastward, what is it?

It's nothing.

After saying that, Bai Bian's face became serious.

Togami, today is your last training session, so let's start now.

Right now? Aren't we talking here about what to do with the relics collected yesterday and how to divide the money?

That's the last time you train. Being able to distribute money without any problems at the end of an exploration of the ruins is one of the important skills of a hunter. You need to learn half of it from real-world experience. Togami, this time, you asked for Aki

AS. You ask for help from a hunter who is better than you, even though you don't know him well. On top of that, you didn't come to an agreement on how the loot would be distributed in advance. So don't expect him to give up your life-risking loot for free out of kindness, in fact, I bet he won't hesitate to come at you.

As if to continue Hakube's warning, Shiori said with a serious face.

Miradi, this is also Miradi's training. Shika

abe-sama and I will be like Aki

A-Sama is trying to take all the loot and attack the two of you. Togami-sama and Milady should work together to prevent it from happening.

I'll let you know that, also considering the worst-case scenario, which is Aki

a will attack you with force, make sure to avoid that anyway. It's important to make sure you don't get into a fight with someone you don't have a chance to win.

The Lord immediately demanded payment for the last expedition. Rifles, bicycles, vehicles, booster sets, ammo and medicines. Some of them may be able to be repaired, while others may need to be replaced, and either way, they add more expense. The total cost is expected to be around 1 billion AU

um。 If you take the time to sell the artifact, you won't be able to pay the money right away.

In the decision was to try to Aki

a Please consider carefully before explaining this point or temporarily assuming the debt to repay him. Be sure to keep in mind how long a hunter who has no aversion to killing is willing to wait for his billion gold coins.

Remember, you can't just say that you're going to split the loot equally. Everyone wants their life to be overrated. When you're facing someone you can't win in a real battle and don't give in in negotiations, you need to make sure you think about how you can still make a profit. If you let his mood worsen, it could turn into a fight.

There is also the option to seek help from the hunter's office. But of course, it won't be free, and it won't convince him, and I bet he'll still have some resentment if you do. Although this is not a good option, sometimes, you have no choice but to do so.

Keep in mind that you may not even need it at all at first. It is not a way to keep you safe. So be careful.

Now, let's get started.

Let's get started now.

Shirabe and Shiori looked serious, and Togami and Reina looked at each other with worried smiles.

Distributing the loot is the last step before the hunter team finally disbands. Togami and Reina tried their best to face this last step with their own abilities. This gave them an idea of why Hunters would hire a negotiator, and D

a

How much KAM has helped them in this regard.

Originally established D

a

The real reason for KAM was only to help injured and retired hunters. After all, even an attentive hunter is able to rely on something that needs to be trusted if it's between hunters he or she knows very well. Despite significant changes since its inception, that part of the organization has remained the same.

Togami and Rei

a Painstaking negotiation exercise was carried out as they did not reach an agreement until the end of the day. Of course, both of them were spent at that time. The final deal was that the loot was divided equally after subtracting the battle fee, and there was no rush to pay the money. So in short, it's really just training and doesn't make any sense for the real deal that they still have to face. Knowing this, Togami and Reina couldn't help but complain.

I didn't see it coming at all, but I had a good time with it! That girl contacted me not to frame me, but to frame Udajima, right? Well, that's okay. That doesn't change the fact that it got rid of that person.

After he was relieved and regained his composure, he looked at the report of the company's union and began to think about what to do next.

[However, still think they are actually from my region.] I didn't expect it at all to be honest, it's just around the borders of my area that we haven't explored yet. But that Udajima, I bet, he thinks it's okay to set the scope of the investigation a little too big outside of the Katsubara ruins. ]

Now that Inabe had regained his composure, he began to string together the information he had.

[That hunter Akira, here again? If I'm not mistaken, he's strong enough for the chengguan to force him to request an upgrade. It is not surprising that someone as powerful as him will return from unexplored ruins in the future. And if he finds a secret passage to an unexplored warehouse, it's no surprise that he'll hide it too. After all, if the location of that hidden passage is leaked and hunters start pouring into the area, there's a good chance that someone will find that hidden passage. ]

Then Inabe remembered something about Akira and opened his information terminal.

[If I'm not mistaken, during that exploration of the ruins in my area, the humanoid monster seemed to focus on this hunter. If this is because his face was recorded by the ruins security system the moment he took those relics from that undiscovered place, and if this is why he was treated differently compared to other hunters who were considered suspicious armed by the ruins management, then it means that the location where he found those relics should be somewhere nearby. The union also said that based on their investigation, there is a good chance that the artifacts actually came from this area. Although, since Udajima did not pay the full amount, the method used by the union to confirm it was not written in the report, and I don't know how the union did it. But it doesn't matter, the most important thing is the result,

Only then did Inabe remember the power suit that Yanagisawa had requested.

[If I'm not mistaken, that power set is powerful.] Heard that it can kill a building-sized monster with a melee weapon. And now it is also approved for ruin exploration. No matter how dangerous that unexplored place is, I should be fine with a few of that power suit. After all, I need to look for ruins in my area, and if there are still a lot of ruins in that unexplored place, then if I can get Akira involved as well, and those in Drarankham, I should have enough manpower to explore it.

Inabe synthesized various information in his mind.

Sponsors of Kugayama City regularly hold banquets on the upper floor of the Kugama building. It is a gathering of large groups of companies from the inner walls, where they meet and connect, and gather information from each other. This is a great opportunity to expand your business. Basically, the people who gather there are not the kind of people who can be pulled down by the economy. Rather, they are the ones who have power and authority over said economy. Regulars of that feast, it is easy to infer the strength of others from the frequency with which they attend such feasts.

This time, Shirley also joined Viola at the feast. It happened a few days after the incident between Inabe and Udajima.

Viola wears a bold dress that, while exuding her familiarity with secrets, also makes her look suspicious.

In stark contrast, Shirley wore an elegant dress with a small accessory that enhanced her charm. Although she managed to restrain herself in that situation, she still looked nervous, as if she was a lady who was not used to this kind of social gathering.

For those who don't know their relationship, it's not hard to imagine from that scene that it was an insidious black woman who took an ignorant woman to that feast.

Shirley then muttered a short sentence hinting at why they were there that day.

However, I thought that he would take such a troublesome approach.

Viola smiles at Shirley like a veteran smiles at a newbie.

The meaning behind this troublesome approach is often much more important than you might think. It's a double truth when it's not something they can bring up publicly. It's like people decide to bluff or make excuses, you know? It obscures the subject from a distance, making it impossible for one to investigate the truth.

Is that so?

She

yl with I

Abe makes a deal to send some of his relics to her relic shop for sale. But even Inabe couldn't have delivered the relics to an unknown store that had nothing to do with the chengguan in public. Therefore, Inabe invited Shiryl to that feast so that he could pretend to happen to meet her here. Only then will he be able to find an excuse to see some of Sheryl's talents, and decide to invest and entrust some expensive relics to her. Not only that, but Inabe is also evaluating other ways he can invest in Shirley, adjusting his profit margins under the same pretext.

Cher, I have to go see the others, because of something else, so I have to leave you for a while. Make sure you don't do anything suspicious, okay?

If something bad happens, I'll go to you and let you take care of the rest.

It was a very good decision.

Although Shiryl's tone was a little stiff, Viola replied with her usual smile before leaving Shiryl. Seeing Viola's reaction, Shirley understood how familiar Viola was with this conspiracy game, unlike herself. Shiryl couldn't help but frown because of the estrangement between them.

Now that Shirley is alone, she avoids any unnecessary interactions with other people in order to get through that feast. Usually, people here move around to make connections. But in the case of Shirille, if she blurts out that she shouldn't be, it's easy to assume that she shouldn't be in that place. So, in order to prevent this from happening, she was prepared and would give her a way out in the most impolite way if someone accosted her. The first step is to keep a distance from the other participants of the banquet.

Shirley stood in the corner of the hall, looking at the others at the feast, and she felt that the scene was no different from that of the slum city. She understood that at least her clothes were appropriate for the place and the time, but she herself lacked the confidence to stand here. After all, people will always take the place where they grew up. But even so, she kept her eyes on the others, watching them closely, and making herself behave more like them.

Unfortunately, there is no shortage of distractions in her vision. For everyone else here, the food on offer is nothing more than a free snack in their conversation, but for Cher, she has to fight back

to taste that kind of food.

In order to strengthen her resistance to those foods, Viola took Shiryl to the high-end restaurant in Kumama House once before attending that banquet. Although Shirley had been warned by Viola beforehand, she couldn't help but react when she experienced a taste that she would never find in a slum city.

Some mistakes can happen because you don't know, and there are things you can fight back just because you know well beforehand. Shirley Card is in between these two situations. In order to blend in with the crowd, she had to act as if the food was of no interest to her. To help her do that, she had already filled her stomach with cheap things before she came. After filling her stomach to the point of throwing up, she finally found the strength to resist the temptation of the feast.

But even so, every time her eyes fell on the food in that hall, she felt as if her stomach had cloned another hollow self, making more room. Although she could hold back, her smile stiffened because of it.

Cher?

Shiryl turned to the source of the sound and was surprised to see Katsuya looking at her.

Long time no see, Katsuya.

Shiryl decides to talk to Gramya to resist the temptation of food, and she smiles at him.

What a coincidence to meet you here, or maybe I guess it shouldn't be that surprising, hehe. I'm willing to bet it's normal for a good hunter like Katsuya to participate in this kind of event. So do you often attend this feast?

Katsuya wears a stylish suit to the banquet instead of his usual enhanced suit. But as can be seen from his demeanor, he is not used to it yet. What's more, he was a little flustered, he didn't expect to meet Shiryl here, although he unconsciously hoped for it.

Uh, well, this is actually my first one. Although I did attend a few similar events before

Is that so? This is actually my first time. I received an invitation from an acquaintance, so, I came here to do something.

Shiryl picked up two cups from a nearby butler and handed them to Katsuya, who took the opportunity to pick them up.

Well, in honor of this meeting and this feast, cheers!

Shirley smiled and looked Katsuya in the eye. Then she touched it with his cup, making a slight noise.

Katsuya blushed slightly, captivated by Sheryl, and took a sip of his glass gracefully. Then he panicked and brought his glass to his lips as if he had just been hypnotized.

On the other side of the banquet, Viola smiled and walked over to one of the officers of the Water Leaf Rankham. In stark contrast to Viola, the corners of Mizuha's mouth turned up slightly when she saw Viola.

Viola, how the hell did you get in?

Not by any illegal means, I was officially invited, you know?

It is not possible to invite a mere information broker to this event. How many things do you think I had to go through to get to this place? I don't know if you blackmailed the guards or bribed them, but it's going to be a problem for others to see me talking to people like you. Like, can you leave me alone?

Seeing that Shui Yu didn't believe her at all, Viola smiled and took out her own invitation from her hand. Looking at the invitation, Mizuha still couldn't believe Viola. After reading it, she couldn't hide her surprise. This invitation was not only official, but also from Inabe, an important figure in the management of Katsubara Castle.

Viola: What's wrong with you?

You know me too well, I never lie, right?

Compared to Viola, who received an invitation from Inabe, Mizuha had a lower position, as she received her position through her connections in Derrankham.

Now that you know me here because of the formal invitation, let's take advantage of this great opportunity to deepen our relationship. This way, both of us will have more connections to use. Also, I have something to ask you.

Keep it short.

Intrigued by the possibility of Viola connecting with Inabe, Mizuha decides to listen to what Viola has to say, even though she doesn't like it at all.

Viola smirked triumphantly, and she got the reaction she expected. As if she had delayed the topic, she chatted a few words first, but Viola's tone did not change, and finally got to the point.

By the way, have you heard about the results of that survey? I'm talking about the incident in the slum city, who told Katsuya that the pickpocket was back.

I don't have anything, the report I gave you earlier is really all I know.

According to the agreement reached between them, Mizuha had sent Viola a Drarankham investigation about the matter in the past.

According to that report, it has been confirmed that it was Nergo who told Katsuya of Arnas's whereabouts. Katsu said the same, and Nergo admitted it.

Nelgo appears to have witnessed Arna's capture near the slum city. At first, he thought she was just one of those ordinary pickpockets in the slums, but then, he remembered that the pickpocket might be the one Katsuya had recently said. So he decided to give Katsuya a call. After Nelgo said this to the investigators, he said with a look of regret that he wouldn't do it if he knew it would turn out to be like this.

After the investigation, the investigators handed over the report to D

a

kam。 Then, D

a

KAM officials used the report as a basis to prove that they were not involved in the incident. Of course, as an officer of Derrankham, Mizuha also received a copy of that report.

Viola smiled deeply and warned Mizuha.

Is this really everything? Do you really have nothing else?

Mizuha looked at Viola suspiciously, but her suspicions were largely due to the fact that she knew how evil Viola was before.

Let me tell you in advance. Even if you say that this level of information is not worth paying for, I will not accept any complaints. After all, I didn't intend to be one of your puppets, and I know how you do things, only providing one-sided information. If you think I wouldn't ask this question here just because you're in a place like this, you're very wrong. Again, don't think I'm going to take the bait just because you have ties to the top of the chengguan.

Viola exaggerated her surprise in reply.

It was a misunderstanding. It's just that it doesn't work out for me and I say it's just a pure coincidence, so I thought it might be a good idea to investigate the matter further. If you do, I might be able to lend you some help. It's basically just a piece of advice to one of my clients.

It's pure coincidence, and D

a

KAM has absolutely nothing to do with that battle. That's from D

a

Official statement from KAM. If you don't want to go with D

a

kam fights, you should refrain from doing anything. Even if it's not a coincidence, we can simply think of it as since Gram also saved him, Ne

Go repaid him for his favor. I bet if you're involved, you can use it as an opportunity to intervene between them. So, even if you offer it for free, I don't need anything from you. How many crimes have you committed in the past, saying they were just coincidences?

Mizuha glanced sharply at Viola, but Viola replied with a nonchalant smile.

This is a huge misconception. As an information broker, I only provide the correct information on the amount to be paid. Although, I acknowledge that the accuracy and amount of information may vary depending on the amount paid to me by a person. But it's unreasonable to hold me accountable for the way they interpret the information I give them, isn't it?

Hmph, you can say whatever you want, I don't need anything from you anyway.

Is that so? That's too bad. Well, I have no plans to continue pushing this to you if you don't want to. So I'm out for now.

Half of Mizuplume's expectations hit the target. Viola is here to offer her about Ne

go of the information. But she didn't expect that half of it was advice and advice, or rather, warnings.

Viola showed her skills while investigating Nergos' background. She was quick to confirm D

a

Kam also knows Ne

GOS. But of course, Viola didn't stop there, she went one step further to find things that had worked against him in the past.

As a result, she lost some of her contact details. The people she could still reach were either not interested in the matter or had nothing to say about Nelgo. Viola felt it dangerous to pursue the matter further, so she interrupted the investigation.

[Here I just wanted to give a friendly warning, because in D

a

It's too bad to lose contact within Kam, well, it doesn't matter. As long as nothing bad happens, everything is fine. So be it, because she has no choice but to buy information from me in case anything bad happens. ]

Viola smiled deeply. Mizuha felt suspicious and didn't know what exactly the information Viola had given her was. But she thought it must be one of Violas' tricks and decided not to ask any more.

One thing is for sure, Viola never lies. But if she knows the information Viola provides, she might as well be prepared to be manipulated by Viola. However, if she doesn't know, she may be destroyed. Viola can control how much information she will share. Another seed fueling rumors has been planted, and it depends on luck whether it can sprout or not.

Back to Shirley and Katsuya, Shirley is chatting with Katsuya easily. can't talk about his humble background, and basically only listens to the story of Keye.

Recently, Katsuya has been busy with the construction of a supply line for the base in front of the Katsubara Ruins. Most of the time, he fights powerful monsters in the depths of the ruins or helps harvest relics around supply lines. Although it is only a casual conversation about Katsuya's experience, it summarizes the situation inside the Katsubara ruins and how much effort the chengguan put into this regard. Normally, Shirley has to pay for this kind of information. Katsuya participated in that feast only because a certain company had made a good profit from the ruins he had collected, and wanted to hear the story of Katsuya himself.

Shirley was listening carefully to Katsuya's story. She further encouraged Katsuya to continue showing interest in his story with her expressions. But she sensed that something was bothering Katsuya, so she asked him worriedly.

Katsuya, is there something wrong?

Katsuya was taken aback, and then said apologetically.

Uh, what do you mean?

I'm sorry if I ask some questions that I shouldn't. But please don't push yourself too hard.

Well, it's not like that, although the monsters are really strong and everyone works well together. In fact, I'm proud of what we've accomplished

I can understand this from your story. I also think you're doing a great job. But I feel like it's something you don't want to admit yourself. Your face now is the same as the last time I saw you. Back then, you regretted not being able to save your friend, and now you put on the same expression. Or rather, it seems to be forcing yourself to laugh, so it's even more obvious that Katsuya, are you really okay?

Shirley looked at Katsuya worriedly. Katsuya shut his mouth as if he was hiding something. The mood slowly became gloomy and sad, and eventually, he smiled bitterly. However, Shiryl's ability to notice this produced some happiness.

I guess I can't hide anything from you, huh. To be honest, it's not that I deliberately concealed it, it's just, well, in fact, I may be subconsciously trying to hide it. I'm not sure myself.

I seem to have asked something that makes you sad, and I'm sorry.

Shiryl said while bowing gracefully, and seeing this, Katsuya shook his head in a panic and explained.

It's my fault for bringing it up myself. You don't have to apologize, since it's come to this point, can I continue to do this?

I would be happy to listen.

Katsuya hesitated for a moment, and when he saw Shirley smiling, his face became serious.

I failed again. Although I have said yes, I cannot keep my word.

I see that I more or less understand what is going on. It may be a bit rude for me to say this, but working as a hunter is a dangerous job. I believe that those who lost their lives must have made up their minds in advance. I know it's not easy, but there's no need to put all the responsibility on you.

Ke also shook his head, his face visibly sad.

She's not a hunter, so I don't think she expected it at all, and she didn't need that determination in the first place. Although I can't tell you the details because I'm kept secret, she's not a hunter ready to be killed, so I promised that I would protect her.

Ke also smiled wryly.

I have always promised many things to the people around me, such as that everything will be okay or that I will protect them. Although I only do this because I am the leader of the team, I mean what I say, however, I can't keep my promises, I can't keep my promises. So, I started to think that the next time I made a commitment, it was just another lie and I don't even know what I was going to do now

Although Shiryl seems to be listening on the surface, in fact, she is using cold logic behind her head.

She was thinking about how she should respond, but at the same time, she laughed at herself. She thinks about how cruel she is, because she really treats Katsuya like a spoiled kid who gives him whatever he wants, and this is just a different example.

Katsuya, I'll ask you some questions, and it's okay if you don't want to answer. As long as you understand the answer to my question yourself, you will be fine.

Ke also frowned and tilted his head. Shirley confirmed that his gaze fell on her before asking in a serious tone.

Did you relax when you tried to keep your word?

Gram was about to roar back. But seeing Shirley staring straight at him, he retreated instead.

If you do, you should take advantage of the experience and guarantee that you won't do it again. There is no need to be unnecessarily sullen like this. If you're going to mop the floor, it's better to try hard next time. But if you don't

Katsuya held his breath and waited for Shiryl to continue, so he continued in a gentle voice.

Then there's nothing you can do.

Katsu, who was expecting to be scolded, was nervous.

There are some things in this world that we can't change even if we push ourselves to death or make all the preparations we can. Even if you choose the best option or even if you risk your life, there are things in life that you have to give up.

Katsu couldn't argue with that, and Shiryl continued.

I'm sure sometimes you think that if you did, things might have been different. But you only know after it's done, so it's not like you can go back and redo it in a different way. First of all, what you think is the wrong decision may actually be a better decision, and the end result could be worse if you had chosen another option that you now think is right.

This sentence stabbed Katsuya in the heart fiercely.

And, even if that decision was really wrong, you chose that option based on your ability at the time. That doesn't mean you're not doing your best.

The words that Gram might have been looking for also seeped deep into his now defenseless heart.

I'm sure that even when it ends badly, the people you protect know that you did your best to keep your word. If you blame yourself and think it's all your fault for not keeping your promises, I'm sure she'll be upset. So you should stop for her.

To put the finishing touch, She

yl brings up that this is also for others.

Katsuya muttered, he felt he should have been noticing all the time, because it was right in front of his eyes.

I see, I seem to have let myself down again on the grounds of her, huh.

Katsuya remembered what Arna had said on her deathbed. Until now, he has not been able to do this, as he is busy fighting back against the grief and despair that have been threatening him. But now that there was room to look back, he clearly remembered, Arna had the last laugh. For the rest of his life, there was no trace of reproach at all.

Katsuya raised his hands and slapped him heavily on the cheek. He did so with such force that he let out a loud cry of pain. When the sound died down and the pain wore off, he returned to his usual confident smile.

Cher, thank you. It really helped me a lot. I'm sorry to worry you, but I'm okay now.

Seeing this, Shiryl felt a little strange.

What's wrong?

Ah, nothing, it looks like you're really okay now.

Yes, thank you.

I just said what I thought. However, you are welcome.

Cher smiled playfully. Now Katsuya has regained her composure, and her smile seems very charming to him.

It was then that Inab approached them. Sensing that the person Shiryl was talking to was Katsuya, he said mockingly.

From D

a

Katsuya of kam, huh? Even in such a place, a girl was beaten. I get it. You are indeed as fast as the rumors say. But are you getting the reason for this feast wrong?

Gram also replied angrily.

I'm just chatting with a friend, I don't know who you are, but don't give Cher the wrong idea.

I see, in that case, I'm sorry, but I'm letting you leave her now, I have something I want to discuss with her.

Don't you see I'm talking to her? You can talk to her later.

Katsuya felt that Inabe was too arrogant to say this, so he raised his voice to reply. But instead, Inabe scolded Katsuya for his ignorance.

The feast is indeed for people to connect, but it is for productive talks such as important negotiations and deals. I have something to discuss with her, and I can't listen to a simple hunter like you. And, if you insist on staying, it causes her to lose billions of Au in our deals

um, will you be held accountable for this?

Of course, even Katsu can't provide so much money. Although his attitude had softened significantly, it was clear that he was still not satisfied.

Seeing this, Shirley also bowed lightly to Sheng and said to him apologetically.

Katsuya, I'm sorry, can we continue another day?

Now Shirley even asked him politely, and he had no choice but to retreat. So, he said regretfully.

See you then, of course, Shirley.

Thank you and let's meet again another day.

Gram also perked up from the promise to meet again. Then he glanced at I before leaving

abe at a glance.

Inabe looked at Katsuya as if he were looking at an impolite child, and then turned to Shirley.

Before I get to the point, can I ask you what is your relationship with him?

It's just acquaintances I've met a few times in the past.

Sheryl's rather cold answer surprised Inabe.

He wouldn't seem to agree with that, though?

I'm not so good that I correct misunderstandings when I have no reason to do so.

Hearing Shirley's casual remarks, Inabe couldn't help but laugh.

Rumor has it that Yanagisawa has a crush on Katsuya. So for those who want to connect with Yanagisawa, Katsu is also a very important person. Not only has Shirriel formed a connection, but it seems that the winning streak is also in the palm of your hand. Greatly improved Inabe's evaluation of Shirley.

I get it. No wonder you work with that woman.

Shirley glanced at Inabe in displeasure.

Can you stop saying such things?

Judging by her reaction, Inabe continued.

[It looks like they're working together, but they're not exactly on the same team.] It's too risky to get close to Viola, so I guess I'd better approach Shirley, huh. ]

Viola is skilled, but she can't be trusted. So, on the contrary, through She

It may be safer to do this. That's how Inabe now thinks about Sheryl.

So, how about we move somewhere else before we get into the topic? In order for people here to think that we know each other, we need to think carefully; Whether it's a secret conversation that grabs their attention or a shared discussion that shows off, it will work.

Good, I'll leave that decision to you. And, I can say a lot about that multi-billion AU you mentioned

Are there high hopes for the UM deal?

It depends on your hard work and skill.

In this case, I will do my best.

In the face of Inabe's easy challenge, Shirley smiled confidently and charmingly.

After changing places, the two chatted quite easily. During their conversation, Shirley was able to extract some information about Katsuya, as she remembered that before Katsuya left them, she thought it was a little strange.

The fact that Katsu was unable to fulfill his promise left a deep wound in his heart, as if it was a chain that locked him in. But after that exchange with Sheryl, it was as if he had finally been freed from that chain. But, of course, Shirley didn't notice.

***

Yanagisawa is reading a document from the holographic display in front of him.

Not the right person, hehe.

The documents he reads are mostly about Katsuya's investigative report. It includes Katsuya's battle record deep inside the ruins, as well as in D

a

Kam's evaluation of his actions at social gatherings. Some reports also contain information on interviews with people around him. But even in all these reports, Yanagisawa could not find what he was looking for.

Of course, it could be Ne

Go gave me the wrong information, or they noticed me, but I don't think that's the case this time. I don't really know what's wrong here.

Ever since he heard from Nergo that Kaya might be someone who could connect to the realm of the Old World, Yanagisawa used various means to take Katsuya under his own hands in order to determine this. For Yanagisawa, it would be a no-brainer to get the Kankan to hire Duranam and send them to expand the supply lines at the Katsubara ruins.

But the reports he received from his men did not support this claim. The reports could not confirm that Katsuya was able to connect with the Old World Realm, and did not even hint at the possibility, which were relatively normal for a young genius hunter.

Ya

Agisawa begins to suspect that it's Ne

Go gave him the wrong information if it was the ruins manager who had done something to hide Katsuya's records.

In the reports he was reading, some of them mentioned Katsuya attending social gatherings. Yanagisawa then remembered that the banquet in Kumama should be about to start. So he decided to check it out.

As he operated the terminal in front of him, a video of the feast in progress was displayed on the monitor. Then, in one of the videos of the surveillance cameras during that feast, Yanagisawa finally found Katsuya.

After staring at the video for a while, Yanagisawa suddenly noticed something.

Well? It's waiting

Yanagisawa opened other records of banquets that Katsuya attended. Then he compared all these images and smiled.

There is a noticeable difference between the current image and the past image. It's the way people around him see him. When Yanagisawa asks him to prove that Katsuya is indeed able to connect to the Old World Realm, Ne

Go says it's one of the unique traits of people who can connect to the old world.

Is this their final appearance? They may have noticed that I was looking for them and told Gram to be careful too, but now they think it's just their unnecessary concern and there's no need to do it anymore? Either that, or Katsuya suddenly decided not to follow their orders? Well, it doesn't really matter. I bet he's the one.

From the differences in these images, Yanagisawa deduces that there is some kind of entity behind Katsuya. Of course, he didn't know that it was because Akira had left him a wound that Shirley had helped heal.